Looking back at MOD Palm Springs 2015

Image 1: MOD Palm Springs 2015 poster by Shag

MOD Palm Springs is a Californian celebration of mid-century modern architecture, fashion, cocktails, art, and music plus modern Tiki culture. The third annual MOD Palm Springs was held on 8-11 October 2015 at the retro-chic Caliente Tropics Resort.

Shag’s MOD Palm Springs 2015 poster was based on his 2013 painting ‘Daiquiris & Deviled Eggs’, which itself released as a print on May 18th, 2013 at the Shag Store’s third-anniversary party.

The MOD Palm Springs 2015 event was organized by Shag the Store and Tiki Caliente and featured live bands the Martini Kings, Marty Lush and Brassiere ’66, Fono 66, the Jimmy Psycho Experiment, Tiki Tronic, The Do-Its, and The Outta Sites amongst others. The event also included the ‘55th annual Cocktail Climb’ with Shag, aboard the historic Palm Springs aerial tramway.

Shag designed a blue Tiki pendant as the admission token for the MOD Palm Springs 2015 event. The necklace, with an adjustable leather cord, was issued free to guests who stayed at the Caliente Tropics resort hotel. A cloisonné technique was used to manufacture the Tiki pendant, where the vitreous enamel is used between thin wire strips. Note that fifty additional pendants were made for interested non-guests at the cost of $10 USD. The pendant is sized at 7.6cm x 2.5cm and was reproduced in light brown as an open edition after the event.

Image 5: Blue Tiki pendant admission token from MOD 2015

Shag hosted two ‘Daiquiris & Deviled Eggs’ soirees at his mid-century home in the historic Royal Hawaiian Estates. The Tiki head man was present at both these events, following through with the character design from the poster, pin and mug.

Image 6: Blue Tiki man at the Shag’s hyper-trendy home

Coffee mugs and glasses were produced for the 2015 MOD Palm Springs event.

Image 7: MOD Palm Springs 2015 mug and glasses

T-Shirts and caps were also manufactured for the event.

Image 8: MOD Palm Springs 2015 t-shirts and caps

Image 9: Re-issued MOD Palm Springs 2014 in lime green

The 2015 Mod Palm Springs Mug was designed by Josh Agle and manufactured by Eekum Bookum in a limited edition run of 150 pieces. It is designed with a nod to traditional Maori Tiki, is 7.5” tall with a 3.5” x 3” base (19cm tall, 8.9cm x 7.6cm base), and cost $89 USD, or $99 USD if purchased after October 1st.

Image 11: 2015 Mod Palm Springs Mug sculpting in progress

Image 12: First two cast 2015 Mod Palm Springs Mugs

According to the fantastic Tiki mug collection organisation site Ooga-Mooga! the MOD Palm Springs Event Mug 2015 is “a blue glazed standing Tiki with its tongue out and with cut-outs between where the arms and legs are to give this piece much more of a sculptural appearance”.